A bill being considered by the Ohio Senate this week poses a major threat to one of Ohio's greatest assets -- Lake Erie.

House Bill 231 would allow businesses to withdraw as much as 5 million gallons of water a day from the lake before needing a permit. Ohio now requires permits for withdrawals of 2 million gallons or more daily.

The legislation is designed to permit Ohio to implement the Great Lakes Compact, an agreement between eight states, two Canadian provinces and Congress.

Advertisement

The agreement requires states to adopt rules protecting the lakes' water and ecosystems by 2014. The bill, approved by the Ohio House earlier this month, has come in for heavy bipartisan criticism.

One of those critics is State Rep. Dennis Murray, D-Sandusky, who has introduced an alternative measure to HB 231, which he said "complies with the spirit and letter of the compact." Murray is urging the Senate to take the time to thoroughly discuss and debate both measures.

Joining Murray in the call for the Ohio Senate to proceed with caution are two former Ohio Republican governors, George Voinovich, the U.S. Senator who sponsored the compact legislation in that body, and Bob Taft, who helped negotiate the compact as governor.

Voinovich wrote a letter advising state lawmakers that HB 231 had "critical shortcomings" and that it "is essential for the state of Ohio to get this legislation right." That's good advice.

Taft warned about the potential harm to smaller rivers and streams from lower lake levels, along with other concerns. He also reminded the senators there was no need for taking any action now.

The Ohio Senate should heed the many storm warnings surrounding HB 231 and "deep-six" this bad plan to exploit Ohio's Lake Erie waters.